Supports for rotating drums



Filed March 30, 1954 1F. N. TTEWSLMND SUPPORTS FOR ROTATING DRUMS Mmmwww lpg M Q'WEHSLANU lfz SUPPORTS FOR ROTTNG DRUMS Filed March so, 19545 sheets-sheet 2 Ov. 13, 1956 P, N, OTTERSLAND 2,770,270

SUPPORTS FOR ROTATING DRUMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 @ald Filed March 3 0, 1954IN1/EN TOR. Pfff/WK r/zwqafva BY United States Patent C SUPPORTS FORROTATING DRUMS Peter N. ottersiand, Watertown, N. Y. y Application March30, 1954, Serial No. 419,8l51u 6 claims. (ci. 144--20s) This inventionrelates to supports for `rotating drums. The invention has beenparticularly worked `out in connection with barking drums used forremoving bark from logs, but it should be understood that it is notlimited to this particular use or adaptation.

Such drums are usually rotatably supported on rollers which are engagedby rails or rings on the drum and permit the drum to rotate.

The movement of the logs in the drum during the drum rotation causesrapid and heavy wear on the trunnions on which the rollers are mountedand von the rings or rails on the drum. i

This invention has for its salient object to alleviate this wear byproviding supplemental drum supporting means operable during therotation of the drum.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the draw- ,p ings which form apart of this application, and in which lig. l is a vertical transversesection of a portion of a barking drum, the supporting rollers and thesupplemental supporting means embodying the invention being shown inelevation; p w j Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical transversesection corresponding to Fig. 1, but taken on a plane which passesthrough the supplemental supporting means, as indicated by the line 2-2in Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuit and drivingmeans for the drum and for operating the supplemental support orbearing; and

1iis plan View of Fig. 2 but omits the drum.

in the particniar embodiment of the invention illusl trs l in thedrm/ings, the invention has been shown in connection with barking drumsand there is shown a portion of a barking drum l0 of the usualconstruction. This drum has a plurality of circumferential rails ortires 11 which engage the peripheries of a plurality of sets ofsupporting rollers l2, 13. The rollers are mounted in suitable bearings.

It has been found that the movement of the logs as they bounce around inthe barking drum during the rotation of the drum places a heavy load onthe supporting rollers 12 and 13, and on the bearings thereof, andcauses rapid and heavy wear on the rails or tires 11.

ln order to alleviate this heavy wear, supplemental bearing means isprovided. This means may be mounted between the sets of supportingrollers and below the periphery of the drum, although, if desired, thesupplemental bearing means could engage the drum wherever desired. Thissupplemental bearing means consists of a bearing block or shoe 20 havingan arcuate upper surface conforming to the curvature of the drum or rail11. The bearing block is mounted on a cradle 21 which is pivoted on axed support at 22 carried by brackets 22A. The block 20 is pivoted at 23upon a bearing surface 24 fixed to the cradle, and the block 20 iscounterbalanced by a weight 25 projecting from one end thereof andadapted to tilt the bearing block on the pivot 23 so ICC that theleading edge 26 of the bearing block will engage the periphery of thetire or rail 11 when the block is not raised upwardly into operativeposition. This engagement of the leading edge with the periphery of thetire or rail will scrape off any dirt or other foreign material adheringto the tire.

The bearing block 20 is preferably formed of material such as Ryertex orMicarta and a shower pipe 27, carried by an arm 27A mounted on one ofthe brackets 22A, sprays water orother lubricant on `the tire andlubricates the bearing surfaces of the shoe and the tire of the drum.The brackets 22A are mounted on base 31 and are connected by across-brace 22B.

The shower or spray pipe 27 is preferably provided with a conventionalcheck Valve in the feed line and the check valve has an extended stem 28adapted to operate a conventional switch 29 in the circuit of the pumpmotor M', as hereinafter explained.` In this manner, if the waterpressure and feed in the shower pipe 27 is interrupted, the pump motorcircuit is opened and the bearing shoe 20 is lowered to inoperativeposition.

Operating means is provided for tilting the cradle 21 on its pivot 22after the drum 10 has started to rotate. This is accomplished in thefollowing manner. A hydraulic cylinder30 `has trunnions 37 pivoted `inbrackets 38 mounted on ther base 31 on which the cradle 21 is supported.The cylinder 30 extends through an opening 39 in the base 31 and in thecylinder is a piston 32 having a piston rod 33 which extends upwardlyand is pivoted at 34 to the cradle 21. Fluid under pressure is suppliedto the cylinder through aninlet 35 and the cylinder has an outlet 36 atthe upper end thereof.

Referring to Pig. 3, there is shown diagrammatically an electricalcircuit and power driving means for the drum lil and for operating thecradle to raise the bearing block or shoe into operative position.` Thedrum 14), as in the usual construction, has `aconventionalperipheralring gear secured thereto, which is engaged by agear driven from a motor M.

The cylinder 30 is supplied with fluid under pressure by means of apressure pump P which is driven by an independent motor 1 The leads tothe power line are shown at 41 and 42, a switch 43 being: interposed inthe lead 41. The lead 41 is connected to one side of the motor M and thelead 42 is connected to the other side of the motor. Lead 41 is alsoconnected by a wire 44 to one side of a time-delay switch S of anysuitable construction, and the other side of this switch is connected bya wire 45 to the wire 42. The switch S is also connected by wire 47 toone side of the motor M. The leads from the switch 29 are connected bywires 48 and 46 respectively to the switch S and to the other terminalof motor M.

Thus, as the switch 43 is closed, the motor M starts immediately anddrives the drum lil. The closing of the switch 43 also starts inoperation the time-delay switch S, which is so constructed that power tothe wires 46 and 47 will be delayed until after the drum 10 has startedto rotate. Thereafter, the motor M will be energized, the pump P will beoperated, and uid under pressure will be fed to the cylinder 30 and willthus raise the piston 32 and piston rod 33, tilting the cradle 21 andraising the bearing block or shoe 2t) to operative position. However, ifthe llow of fluid in the spray pipe 27 is interrupted, the switch 29 isopened, thus opening the circuit of motor M and lowering the shoe 20.

The lowering movement of the shoe 20 is limited by a cross-bar 50 thatextends between the side plates of the cradle 21. The cross-bar 5i)engages an adjustable stop 51 mounted on the base 31.

lf desired, instead of using a pressure pump, cylinder,

and piston to raise the shoe, other means could be used, as, electricaloperating means such as a solenoid.

Moreover, the necessary delay in the operation of the bearing shoeraising means could be accomplished without the use of a timeedelayswitch, as, for instance, by so regulating the length of travel of thepiston that its delay in operation will be suicient.

Although one specic embodiment of the invention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capableof modication and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from thespirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

What I claim is: y

1. In combination, a drum, means for rotatably supportingsaid drum,means for rotating the drum, and supplemental drum-supporting meansnormally disposed in inoperative position when the drum is at rest, andmeans controlled in its operation by the means for rotating the drum forautomatically moving said supplemental supporting means to operativedrum-supporting position after the drum has started to rotate forrelieving pressure on the drum-supporting means as the drum continues torotate. y

2. In combination, a drum, means for rotatably supporting said drum,means forrrotatiug the drum, and supplemental drum-supporting meansconsisting of a shoe normally disposed in inoperative position when thedrum isat rest and means controlled in its operation by the means forrotating the drum for automatically moving said shoe to operativedrum-supporting position after the drum has started to rotate forrelieving pressure on the drum-supporting means as the drum continues torotate.

3. In combination, a drum, means for rotatably supporting said drum,means for rotating the drum, a shoe mounted below the drum, means forpivotally supporting said shoe, said shoe being biased to tilt on itspivot in a direction to engage only a leading edge of the shoe with thedrum, in the direction of rotation of the drum, when the shoe is notdisposed in drum-supporting position, and means for raising the shoeinto operative, drum-supporting position.

4. In combination, a drum, means for rotatably supporting said drum,means for rotating the drum, a shoe mounted below the drum, means forpivotally supporting said shoe, said shoe being biased to tilt on itspivot in a direction to engage only a leading edge of the shoe with thedrum, in the direction of rotation of the drum, when the shoe is notdisposed in drum-supporting position, and means operative after the drumhas started to rotate for raising the shoe into operative,drum-supporting position.

5. In combination, a drum, means for rotatably supporting the drum,means for rotating the drum, supplemental drum-supporting meansconsisting of a bearing shoe, means for lubricating the bearing surfacesof the shoe and the drum, means for moving the shoe into drumsupportingposition after the drum has started to rotate, and means for renderingthe shoe-moving means inoperative when the shoe-lubricating means isinoperative.

6. In combination, a drum, means for rotatably supporting the drum,means for rotating the drum, supplemental drum-supporting meansconsisting of a bearing shoe, means for lubricating the bearing surfacesof the shoe and the drums, means including a motor and pump for movingthe shoe into drum-supporting position after the drum has started torotate, and means for opening the motor circuit and rendering theshoe-moving means inoperative when the shoe-lubricating means isinoperative.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 759,939Thomas May 17, 1904 827,617 Carritte July 31, 1906 1,698,347 PueningJan. 8, 1929 1,800,228 Pierce Apr. 14, 1931 2,243,631 Johansson et al.May 27, 1941 2,630,153 Dick Mar. 3, 1953 2,703,916 Butler Mar. 15, 1955

